1. Technical Field
The invention relates generally to an improved anchor bolt sleeve. More particularly, the invention relates to a sleeve which is fitted over anchor bolts that are secured within concrete to secure a structure thereto after the concrete is poured. Specifically, the invention relates to apparatus which is fitted over the anchor bolt to prevent the concrete from contacting the entire bolt length such that the bolt may be flexed or bent after the concrete is hardened.
2. Background Information
It is customary in construction to set anchors in concrete while the concrete is poured such that later, after the concrete has hardened, the bolt will extend upwardly from the concrete surface. The size of the bolt is dependent on the machine or structure that will ultimately be mounted thereto, and as such, a wide range of bolt sizes are available. However, the bolts are seldom perfectly placed in the concrete, and often the holes in the machine mounting brackets do not align perfectly with the bolts, thereby making the mounting of the machines more difficult.
Heretofore, the bolts have been removed from the concrete, with the concrete in that area then being reformed with the bolts correctly positioned. This process is costly, but more importantly, the concrete is weakened, as the area around the bolt is not homogenous with the remainder of the concrete slab. To overcome these problems, anchor bolt sleeves have been created which slide over the bolt such that when the concrete is poured, the sleeve creates a void around the bolt where the concrete cannot flow. This area may then be utilized to flex the bolt, or even bend the bolt to assure that the anchor bolt is in alignment with the machine mounting brackets. The bolts are easier to flex or bend, as the free length of the bolt remaining unsecured by the concrete, is increased via the void created by the sleeve.
However, the sleeve often slides down the anchor and thus becomes useless after the concrete slab hardens. Moreover, a significant number of sizes must be stocked to correspond to the variety of bolt sizes available on the market.
Therefore, a need exists for an anchor bolt sleeve which will remain correctly positioned on the anchor bolt on which it is installed. Moreover, a need exists for a sleeve which may be utilized for a variety of bolt sizes such that a small number of parts may be stocked, and later carried to the job site thereby significantly reducing costs.